Monday Meditation: Black Swallowtail Butterfly

It’s been a looong time since I did a “Monday Meditation” on this blog! Tbh, I was overwhelmed by the prospect of doing these posts on a weekly basis – it took a lot of research and contemplation about butterfly symbolism to commit to a weekly post.

But I also realized recently that I missed it! We’re nearing the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and I’m delighted to have already seen a few butterflies while out and about.

Why not get back into the spirit of the season by doing a few butterfly affirmations?

One of the species I spotted was the Black Swallowtail butterfly! I was beyond excited when I saw it; the most common butterfly around these parts is the Cabbage White. They’re lovely, but a sighting of something else was a wonderful surprise.

The Black Swallowtail is common through much of the United States except the Rocky mountains and West coast. It can also be found in parts of Canada, including all of the Maritimes (except Newfoundland). These butterflies are commonly found in vegetable gardens in the larval stage and feed on butterfly weed, butterfly bush, phlox, thistle, clover and others as butterflies.

One of the behaviors of the Black Swallowtail butterfly is something referred to as “basking” – during cooler weather, the Black Swallowtail will perch in direct sunlight, warming its wings before flight.

I decided that today’s meditation will be on this idea of “basking”. Where do we give ourselves moments to pause, reflect, and appreciate the things that warm our hearts and light our souls?

It is instinct for the Black Swallowtail to bask in the sunlight, and so, too, should we trust in our intuition and instinct to help us find pause. Using the symbol of the Black Swallowtail, we can look into ourselves and investigate where we let ourselves be mindful, give ourselves time to be grateful, and where we might have blockages.

Where do we resist basking in the brilliance of our lives? Where do we hold ourselves back from realizing our own radiance?

Black Swallowtail Butterfly Affirmation: I bask in the brilliance of my life and myself. I nourish my soul with reflection and light. I give myself time to reflect with gratitude.

By giving ourselves the time and space to reflect on the beauty and abundance in our lives (and ourselves!) we can nourish our inner flame and be mindful of these things throughout our days.